Mayor Frank DelCore made it clear that this does not mean all employees will be laid off; it is a prerequisite for laying off any employees under union contracts.

“We are advised that to eliminate any number of positions, to reduce any number of personnel, all employees in collective bargaining units must receive the notice,” DelCore said, emphasizing “all.”

The action by Township Committee also clears the way for the township to issue furloughs to union employees, DelCore said.

Employees not under union contracts won’t necessarily be spared; they just don’t require layoff notices.

“The issue confronting Hillsborough now is not having too many employees or employees who do not work hard,” he said. “It is simply that the cost of the employees — salaries, health benefits, pension costs and other benefits — has grown too high for the taxpayers.”

The fault, he said, belongs to state rules that are skewed in favor of the unions. Hillsborough will support Gov. Chris Christie’s hard line against unions, he continued.

In March, Hillsborough learned it lost approximately $800,000 in state aid this year from various sources. The township also faces mandated increases in health benefits, pensions, general insurance and fire insurance, said Committeeman Carl Suraci, who is on the finance committee.

Hillsborough will look to concessions from collective bargaining groups to help save jobs, committee members said.

“Union leadership representing the different employee groups have already acknowledged they may be willing to play a role in helping reduce these costs and will try to work with the township to avoid layoffs,” DelCore said.

Still, layoffs may be necessary in this economy, township officials said.

“There’s simply no way to fashion a budget without a reduction in personnel costs,” Suraci said.